Rolo Ritz Marshmallow Treats

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
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These Rolo Ritz Marshmallow Treats are similar to your favorite rice crispy treats, but with caramel-chocolate Rolos, buttery Ritz crackers, and tons of fluffy melted marshmallows. You’re gonna love ’em!

One of My Favorite Marshmallow Treat Recipes

I don’t even know where to even start. How about this: MAKE THESE RIGHT NOW.

Rolo Ritz marshmallow treats are seriously one of the most delicious things I have ever made, and they’re so easy! Salty, sweet, buttery & caramel-y, and as simple to put together as a basic rice crispy treat recipe. But let’s back up to a few weeks ago, when my friend Lauren came to visit.

Lauren and I both have a love of rice krispie treats and all their many forms. I actually wrote a book about cereal desserts a couple of years ago, including recipes like these while Lauren has made them with – wait for it – Ruffles chips, and Ritz crackers. Such good ideas.

So as we sat at lunch (a healthy lunch, I should add), we were discussing all the ways we love to trash up some rice krispie treats. Then we had an inspiration: Rolo Ritz Marshmallow Treats. We were nervous at first when we pulled them out of the fridge, but once we cut into them and saw the gooey caramel…well, we knew they were going to be amazing.

We loaded them up with extra marshmallows and a little extra butter for good measure, and then stirred in the Rolos for chocolatey-caramel bites throughout. I promise, you are going to love these.

From top left: Rolo candies, butter, crushed and broken Ritz crackers, mini marshmallows, vanilla extract.

What Ingredients Will I Need?

Just like traditional rice crispy treats, this is a super easy recipe with only a few ingredients. Which is awesome, because the payoff is exponentially delicious!

  • Butter: I recommend unsalted butter, especially since the Ritz crackers are salty by themselves.
  • Mini Marshmallows: You’ll want two bags, divided. One and a half bags will be melted, while the remaining half a bag gets stirred into the recipe along with the Rolos.
  • Vanilla: A bit of pure vanilla extract brings out the best in the marshmallows, caramel, and chocolate.
  • Ritz Crackers: Original flavor. I get the 13.7 ounce box, and use the whole thing (all 4 sleeves of crackers).
  • Rolos: A 12 ounce bag. You’ll need to unwrap them, of course!
Cut marshmallow treat bars in a pile, with chocolate candies and marshmallows studded throughout.

How to Make Rolo Ritz Marshmallow Treats

This is an easy recipe, but be aware that time is of the essence once you start mixing the crackers and other ingredients into the marshmallow mixture – it thickens and sets up quickly.

  • Prepare Your Pan. Grease an 8×8 pan with butter, and set it aside. You can easily do this by rubbing a cool (not softened) stick of butter firmly against your baking dish, or by spooning a small amount of softened butter into a paper towel and rubbing that against the baking dish. For additional non-stick power, place a sheet of parchment in the pan as well.
  • Make the Marshmallow Sauce. Next, take out a big non-stick pan or saucepan, and melt the butter over medium-high heat. Don’t let it scorch. Once it’s melted, dump in one and a half bags of the mini marshmallows and stir well to help them melt. Finally, stir in the vanilla.
  • Quickly Fold in the Dry Ingredients. Take the marshmallow mixture off of the heat, and immediately fold in the Ritz crackers, working quickly but carefully (the marshmallow sauce is hot!). Stir in the rest of your marshmallows, and then most the Rolos (you’ll want to save about 25% for decorating the top of the bars). Pour and scrape the marshmallow treat mixture into your prepared pan, and spread it out evenly using a buttered spatula. If you reserved any Rolos, press them into the top of the marshmallow treats now before it cools too much to stick.
  • Cool, Cut, and Enjoy! Allow the marshmallow treats to cool completely. If you want, you can speed up this process by cooling them in the refrigerator. Once they’re cooled to room temperature, cut the treats into squares and serve immediately, or store.

Recipe Notes

To make this easy recipe even more do-able, check out these helpful hints for working with Ritz crackers, marshmallows, and Rolo candies. Enjoy!

  • For the Crackers: If you can’t find regular Ritz crackers, most other butter crackers will work. The key is using buttery crackers, not whole-wheat or saltine crackers – those are delicious, but the buttery flavor is a huge part of this flavor combo.
  • Marshmallows: Fresh marshmallows tend to work better than older marshmallows, melting more evenly and helping the mixture come together better. Older marshmallows will basically work, but grab a new bag if possible.
  • Rolo Substitutes: You may not be able to find Rolo candies where you are, but other chunky caramel-chocolate candy can be substituted. Chopped Milky Way bars, for example, would be similarly soft and chewy, with that great caramel flavor!
  • Feeling Pressed? Two pitfalls of making these treats involve pressing the mixture into the pan. If you press too firmly, you may end up with dense, un-fluffy treats, so make sure you work with your mixture gently. Another problem is having the sticky marshmallow mix stick to your fingers! For that, try lightly moistening your hands or spatula with water before you press.
Overhead shot of nine marshmallow treat bars on a sheet of parchment, with Ritz crackers, Rolos, and marshmallow scattered around.

Easy Variations

Rolo ritz marshmallow treats are definitely a “twist” on classic rice crispy treats, but there’s no need to stop there. You can change this recipe up in lots of ways. Here are just a few ideas for starters:

  • More Caramel! Play off of the caramel theme with a sweet, sticky caramel drizzle over the top of the bars. Yum.
  • White Chocolate: Honestly, I adore the combination of caramel, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. Add some white chocolate baking chips to the mix while you stir, for an additional texture and taste that’ll make your mouth happy. Too sweet? Maybe you need some semisweet chocolate in there, instead!
  • Rolo Pretzel: The darker, more “baked” taste of crushed pretzels would be fabulous in this recipe, so if you like, substitute crushed pretzels for 1/4 of the Ritz crackers.
A rolo ritz marshmallow treat on a plate, pulled apart to show the gooey texture of the candies and marshmallow.

How Do You Keep Homemade Rice Krispie Treats Fresh?

When it comes to storing these, the rules are pretty simple: airtight container, room temperature. Keeping air and moisture out will help the Ritz crackers stay crisp, not soggy or stale. They will keep at room temperature for about one week.

Can I Freeze These for Another Time?

Actually, yes! These and most other rice crispy-style treats usually freeze well for up to three months. Wrap the squares individually, and then freeze them in a big freezer bag for convenience. Thaw before serving.

Marshmallow treats made with Ritz crackers and Rolos.
4.5 from 210 votes
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Yield: 12 Treats

Rolo Ritz Marshmallow Treats

These Rolo Ritz Marshmallow Treats are very buttery with that perfect salty/sweet combo. It's a super easy no-bake dessert recipe that you'll want to make again and again!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 (10 oz) bags mini marshmallows, divided
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 sleeves Ritz crackers, crushed
  • 1 (12 oz) bag rolos, unwrapped

Instructions 

  • Grease an 8×8 pan with butter, set aside.
  • In a large non-stick pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Once melted add 1 and 1/2 bags of marshmallows, stirring until marshmallows melt completely. Stir in vanilla extract.
  • Remove from heat and quickly fold in ritz. Stir in remaining 1/2 bag of marshmallows and then fold in the rolos as fast as you can. I poured 75% of them in and did one quick fold (saving the rest for pressing into the top for decoration).
  • Transfer mixture to prepared pan and spread evenly using a buttered spatula. If you saved any rolos, press them into the top of the marshmallow treats now.
  • Allow to cool completely. You can speed up this process by cooling them in the refrigerator. When cooled, cut into squares and serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 bar, Calories: 359kcal, Carbohydrates: 58g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 25mg, Sodium: 95mg, Potassium: 59mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 45g, Vitamin A: 281IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 45mg, Iron: 0.2mg

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Welcome!

Jessica
I'm a trial & error, self taught, sugar addict who thankfully learned how to survive in the kitchen! I am also a wife, mama of 3.